The term “line of beauty” describes, in one sense, a certain way of arranging lines and shapes in a drawing or painting to suggest motion, dynamic balance and grace. But in a deeper sense it can also speak to the visionary spirit that drives the creation of a piece of artwork. Whatever that spirit is, Wendy Pini demonstrates that she has had it from the moment she was delivered into this world. Given up for adoption at birth, she has been on a quest ever since for those things most of us take for granted—family, tribe and community. The search has taught her about love and loss and, above all, the power that comes from hearts and minds united in a single dream. Taking inspiration from diverse sources both Western and Eastern—animation, comics, mythology, classic illustration and more—Wendy has developed a unique blend of stylistic opposites, seamlessly mingling the light and airy qualities of Japanese manga with the weighty power of American superhero comics. Whether engaged in her ongoing fantasy saga Elfquest or interpreting other writers’ words for a magazine cover, she brings both the inner and outer “line of beauty” to her work. Every composition embraces the energy of the search and the peace of reaching the goal. This book provides a comprehensive look at rare material from Wendy’s two Beauty and the Beast graphic novels, her Galaxy and If magazine covers and interior art, and preproduction art from the animated The Lord of the Rings film. It highlights ambitious projects such as Masque of the Red Death and Law and Chaos, includes exquisite art from the Land of Myth series of prints, and much more. The highest quality of reproduction is made possible through direct access to the original art or the best original source material, which has been made available from the Pini archives.
Author
Wendy Pini is one-half of a husband and wife team with Richard Pini that created, most notably, the Elfquest series. Wendy was born in California and adopted into the Fletcher Family in Santa Clara County. Early on, she developed as an artist and was the illustrator of her high school year book. She submitted samples of her artwork to Marvel Comics at 17 that were rejected. Pini attended Pitzer College and received her B.A. in the Arts and joined the Los Angeles Science Fiction Society. In 1972, she married Richard Pini and began illustrating science fiction magazines, including Galaxy, Galileo, and Worlds of If. In 1977, Richard and Wendy established a publishing company called Warp Graphics to publish their first Elfquest comic. Elfquest was self-published for 25 years and in 2003, licensed to DC Comics. The comic series has won several awards, including the Ed Aprill Award for Best Independent Comic, two Alley Awards, the Fantasy Festival Comic Book Awards for Best Alternative Comic, and the Golden Pen Award. Wendy has illustrated other works, including Jonny Quest in 1986, Law and Chaos in 1987, and in 1989, two graphic novels of Beauty and the Beast. Recently in 2007, she completed a graphic novel entitled The Masque of Red Death. Wendy has received several awards over the last four decades, including the San Diego Comic Convention Inkpot Award, the New York State Jaycees Distinguished Service Award, the Balrog Award for Best Artist, and was inducted into the Friends of Lulu Women Cartoonists Hall of Fame in 2002. Wendy and her husband currently reside in Poughkeepsie, New York.
